The name “Laughing Gull Chocolates” serves as an homage to founder, Lindsay’s, grandmother. An avid chocolate and bird lover, she inspired Lindsay’s passion for cacao.

The Chocolatiers

Lindsay Tarnoff

Founder and Chief Chocolatier

The woman with the vision, Lindsay started Laughing Gull Chocolates in Rhode Island in 2014. Led by a desire to change the world with chocolate, Lindsay has taken chocolate confections to a new level. She leads her workshops with knowledge and experience from visiting various cacao farms and a drive for finding a sustainable way to bring this commodity to our community. Her palette for flavors is unmatched and her passion for our mission has only been topped by her love of her daughter and family.

Karla Boyle

Chief Operations Officer

It was Karla’s business acumen, love of community – and some serendipity – that led her to join Laughing Gull Chocolates. Before they knew it, Karla and Dylan had become a part of the Laughing Gull village, and Karla’s values and professional experience made her an invaluable team member. Her past managerial experience combined with her determination and passion for small women-owned businesses helped bring our ideals to life. Her values and resolve continue to advance the business forward, allowing for progress and more room to make the world a better place through chocolate.

Allison Zukoski

Chief Financial Officer

Bringing a mind for numbers and a love of business, Allison has graced Laughing Gull Chocolates with her computing skills and charisma. After completing her MBA at the Simon School of Business, Allison held a variety of positions before finding her home at the chocolate shop. Driven by her desire to spend quality time with her daughter while continuing to grow professionally and make a difference in her community, she was a perfect fit. Her passion for creating and achieving the vision of a charitable, yet profitable, business has made her invaluable.

Our Mission

At Laughing Gull Chocolates we provide ethically-sourced, high-quality, organic chocolates made with local ingredients and flavors. We stay globally conscious of our industry with education through workshops and sourcing transparency while remaining community-centered through outreach and local partnerships.

Our Story

Laughing Gull Chocolates was conceived out of a long-standing love affair with chocolate, a fascination with it’s story, and a desire to use chocolate as a vehicle for social change. After spending years delving into the history of cacao, founder Lindsay Tarnoff discovered that her love of making chocolate was as powerful as her resolve to use her favorite food to change the world. Lindsay began sharing her passion for ethically-sourced chocolate through unique chocolate truffles, and fun, educational workshops.

The new business was nurtured with love and care in Rhode Island. In 2016, Lindsay and her growing family found a new home in Rochester, NY and Laughing Gull evolved into a brick and mortar store on East Main Street. The business continued to grow. Karla started working at the shop prior to the Grand Opening; soon thereafter, Allison began to spend most of her days at the shop. The three became fast friends and discovered that their personalities and professional skills were complementary. In July 2018, Karla and Allison joined the team as business owners. Together, they are working hard to change the world with chocolate.

The shop flourished as well, and became a space where beautiful chocolate products and tantalizing drinks are made. The desire to develop their careers while spending their days with their children inspired the team to create a shop with amenities that would allow them to care for their babies while evolving professionally. Laughing Gull Chocolates is now a family-friendly space that acts as a second home for the three mini-chocolatiers. The women are proud to provide parents and caregivers a safe place to enjoy decadent treats while their children play.

Laughing Gull Chocolates creates delicious, mouthwatering chocolate with a conscience. Our tagline is “saving the world with chocolate,” and we believe we do make the world a better place. We strive to make new connections in our community, and use chocolate as a facilitator of business education, sustainability, and responsible consumerism. We use direct and fair trade, organic chocolate and continue to evaluate our sources regularly. Lindsay stretches the limits of flavor creation with fascinating combinations, often highlighting other locally crafted ingredients. We house other goods on our shelves, supporting the local economy and fellow small businesses. Finally, our workshops not only teach the art of chocolate but also raise awareness of the various ecological and socioeconomic aspects of it’s cultivation. This is just the beginning; with time and care, we intend to continue to build our capacity to change the world through our favorite treat- chocolate.